Peter Bart: A Coat Of Paint On The Hollywood Sign Can‘t Obscure Industry’s Erosion Of Creative Courage
deadline.comA team of painters were at work this week restoring the mega-photographed Hollywood sign, a mission that carries a perverse irony.
All week I’ve been assaulted by studies and reports describing how Hollywood, the industry town, has essentially surrendered its leadership in the universe of pop culture.
The message: The industry has dimmed its vision even though the Hollywood sign may linger on. Originally signaling a real estate development, the Hollywood sign’s construction coincided with the first Oscars and thus became an optimistic symbol for the future of glitz and glamor.
Now, decades later, the “founders” would be daunted by the cutbacks and layoffs that characterize today’s Hollywood. In sector after sector of pop culture, America’s vision seems to be diminishing while other nations are expanding their roles in the new “multipolar” landscape.
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